1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the threaded differential bearing thrust support to be adjusted from outside of the carrier housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been a long felt need in the art for threaded adjusters for differential bearing pre-load. Many differentials have been made with no way to adjust bearing pre-load other than to assemble the differential with a prescribed number of shims and then check the ring and pinion alignment, if the alignment is incorrect, the differential must be disassembled, the shims changed and the differential reassembled. This type of pre-load adjustment system can be very time consuming, costly and frustrating for the person doing the assembly. An alternative to shims and trial and error are threaded adjusters, however, the current generation of threaded adjusters, are difficult to use, this has caused many artisans to have less than a proactive approach in implementing them. Currently, the only way to adjust the threaded adjusters present in the art is to go into the tube bore with a driver or modify the carrier casting with a window that would allow the use of a spanner type wrench for adjustment through the cover plate opening. These current adjustment devices are difficult and time consuming to use.
The present invention concerns the threaded bearing adjusters of differentials. Currently, adjusters can only be adjusted by placing their tools inside the tube or removing the cover plate. The instant invention overcomes this problem by providing a new type of threaded adjustment system. The threaded adjusters have a ring of teeth on the outer corner opposite of the bearing thrust surface similar to the teeth found on a drill chuck or side gear. The carrier has a hole/opening bored that is slightly outboard of the adjuster face and is perpendicular to the axial movement of the adjuster. Into this hole the adjuster tool; a tool similar to a drill chuck key or pinion mate, is inserted and engages the teeth in the adjuster ring. By turning the adjuster tool the threaded adjuster will turn and move axially as required to set the backlash and pre-load.